Carl Robinsons Vancouver Whitecaps travelled to Dallas on Saturday, five points adrift of their opponents for fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. With Dallas having the most difficult run-in amongst any of the top six in the conference, anything other than a Whitecaps loss would have ensured a three-way battle between the two sides and Portland for the two remaining playoff spots. Formations For Vancouvers third game in eight days, Robinson kept the diamond in midfield but rung the changes, some forced and others out of choice. Steven Beitashour was on the trip but failed a late fitness test and was replaced by Ethen Sampson, who made only his second MLS start. Fellow 20-year-old Christian Dean joined him in the back four, with veteran Andy OBrien left at home. Pedro Morales was not 100 per cent so was left on the bench, leaving Mauro Rosales to occupy the playmaking number ten role as Mehdi Ballouchy came in on the right to help Sampson defensively. Darren Mattocks returned up top alongside Sebastian Fernandez. Dallas boss Oscar Pareja abandoned his back three experiment from the loss last week against Real Salt Lake, choosing a straight 4-4-2 featuring an explosive front four that surprisingly included Blas Perez, back from international duty with Panama. The Game Dallas won 2-1 in a match that was decided on moments and key decisions. It can be a cruel game sometimes and a steep learning curve for a young side like Vancouver. Robinson will have had a difficult time post match with what to say to his players, an all too familiar story for the Whitecaps lately. Dallas opened the scoring after 20 minutes from a freak wondergoal by Perez. Defender Jordan Harveys reaction said it all. The experienced left back, who had 168 of the combined 172 MLS starts for the defence heading in, just waved his hand towards the net as a signal for how ridiculous the goal was. For Vancouver it was a kick in the guts. A team that has struggled so much to find ways to score did not need to see first hand clear evidence of how easy sometimes a ball can go in from nothing. In truth, the Whitecaps should have already been ahead when Darren Mattocks was played in alone at the other end but once again took too many touches and wasnt able to finish. Another familiar story. The Whitecaps, led by the brilliant Rosales, grew back into the game and deserved their equaliser, scored by Erik Hurtado who had replaced the ineffective Mattocks. It was a goal orchestrated by Rosales and one that highlighted the weaknesses of the hosts. Central midfielders Michel and Victor Ulloa struggled throughout with their collective defensively responsibilities, allowing Rosales to run the show in behind them. On the goal he broke into that space again, while Hurtado made an intelligent run in the channels between Zach Loyd and Jair Benitez at left back who had come on for Moises Hernandez. Hurtados run was good but his finish was even better. Dallas was a threat in the final third when they got there but struggled throughout the game in keeping possession, an issue they havent solved all season. However, that is their identity now, a team so dangerous from set pieces and once their quick, explosive wingers get the ball in the final third. Their winning goal, not surprisingly, came from a set piece with Michel sending a ball into the box that the Whitecaps didnt deal with, allowing, on the second phase, Perez to place the ball into an empty net after David Ousted came off his line and didnt get the ball. It capped off a mixed night for the Danish keeper who made two magnificent saves to keep his team in the game between each of the goals he conceded. The Positives Vancouver is a team who has no legitimate goalscorer. Their best player isnt fit and was a shadow of his former self when he came on. They had three centre-backs, who have all started big games for them over recent weeks, unavailable, while key pieces in Beitashour and Gershon Koffie were injured. Yet, they still went toe-to-toe with a team that will qualify for the playoffs in a very competitive Western Conference. Some Whitecaps fans dont want to hear that this season is a year of transition for this franchise but that is a reality as a new boss tries to bring in his own players and deal with the challenges left behind by the former coach. If Vancouver wants to be a consistent challenger for a playoff spot it is about building a strong spine and that showed some great signs of improvement on a cloudy night in Frisco. Ousted is a rock in goal and is allowed a mistake, one that haunted him as he was still talking at length about it later that night at the hotel. Kendall Waston had another excellent game and his inexperienced partner, Dean, grew into the game. He will have less severe tests than ones given to him by Castillo and Perez on his debut. Matias Laba had another outstanding game and completely ran the central midfield. His workrate showed Dallas exactly what they miss as they look a broken team who struggle to get midfielders in the game to combine with the front four. Ahead of Laba, Rosales was the best player for the Whitecaps and the only thing missing to complete a strong spine is a pure finisher, although Hurtados goal will give him a lot of confidence and may earn him a start next week in Portland. The Weaknesses It is a broken record by now. If Mattocks scores his chance inside the first fifteen minutes it is a different game. Too often when balls were played to the feet of the front two they didnt stick. Zach Loyd and Matt Hedges put on a centre-back clinic on how to press, be aggressive and take the forwards out of the game. The longer the game wore on the more intimidated they were by them with only Fernandez looking a threat when he gets space to dribble into. A new striker is needed and will arrive for 2015 and with him needs to come a natural winger who can push opposing full backs deep and attack the white line just to give Robinson another option and make sure their attacks are not too narrow and predictable. Star Man Rosales was a magician. No one works harder, no one reads the game better and he isnt afraid to tell team-mates that also, educating them on their choices and helping them be better. With Morales struggling, we have yet to see the best of these two playmakers together and it was wise that when the Chilean did come on Robinson kept Rosales in the central role were he tortured the Dallas midfield. He, like Waston at the other end, has become an on-field leader already and one the team cannot afford to be without. Both players are examples of Robinsons Whitecaps that need to be at the club next season to help take them to the next level. Right now, though, the immediate goal is the playoffs and despite all the adversity the team is still in fifth spot with six games remaining. That in itself is a huge sign of progression for this franchise no matter when the curtain comes down on their 2014 campaign. Anze Kopitar Jersey . - Veteran Kings defenceman Robyn Regehr, sidelined since Game 1 of the Anaheim series, says hes close to returning. Trevor Lewis Jersey . - Mathew Barzal scored 3:47 into overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds downed the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-3 on Tuesday in Western Hockey League playoff action. http://www.officialkingshockey.com/Customized/ . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros. Adrian Kempe Jersey . Hall joined Bengals teammates for a voluntary workout on Monday. Hes got his mobility back and is on schedule to be ready for the season. CINCINNATI - Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is happy with his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon and expects to be ready for the start of training camp in July. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . Josh Mazzola drove in five runs to lead the Goldeyes (20-12) past the Capitales 11-5 Friday night at Le Stade Municipal in Quebec City.The Winnipeg Jets look to end a three-game losing streak as they host the New Jersey Devils in a 7pm faceoff at MTS Centre. Shane Hnidy and I will have the radio broadcast on TSN Radio 1290, while Dennis Beyak, Brian Engblom and Sara Orlesky bring you the action on TSN Jets. After starting the first five games of the season, Ondrej Pavelec has the night off and Al Montoya will start in goal. Montoya has a career 1.97 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in five games against New Jersey. Jets Projected Lines: Kane-Little-WheelerLadd-Scheifele-FrolikTangradi-Jokinen-SetoguchiWright-Slater-Halischuk Byfuglien-EnstromBogosiann-TroubaStuart-Postma Toby Enstrom (6 assists) is on a five game point streak.dddddddddddd Chris Thorburn will not dress due to injury. Winnipegs power play has scored one goal per game. The Devils are winless to start the season with a 0-2-3 record. Former Manitoba Moose goaltender Cory Schneider will start in goal for New Jersey. He is 0-1-1 on the season with a 2.94 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. Projected Devils Lines: Zubrus-Elias-JagrClowe-Zajac-BrunnerHenrique-Loktionov-RyderOlesz-Gionta-Bernier Greene-LarssonSalvador-ZidlickyVolchenkov-Harrold Mattias Tedenby will not dress due to injury. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '